


Escape the Night: Hope of Redemption

by Dede42



Series: Escape the Night Season 3 [1]
Category: Escape the Night (Web Series)
Genre: Nightmares, Plans, Reunion, memorial service, mission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:33:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26377336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dede42/pseuds/Dede42
Summary: It'd been a year since the Victorian Mansion incident, and Dawn Hatcher is getting ready for the next mission into hell. She knows about the prophecy, she's been training as the Light-bearer, and she's been promised that she would be reunited with Joey Graceffa. But is Joey really alive? And what will be the price they will have to pay in order to fulfill the mission?
Series: Escape the Night Season 3 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1916947
Comments: 36
Kudos: 3





	1. PROLOGUE: GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, world and welcome back to Escape the Night!
> 
> Yup, this is the prequel story for ETN 3 to set everything up for what to come when they eventually travel to Everlock. Onward!

**PROLOGUE: GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN**

*****

_`“Two years ago on June 22, 2016, the world was thrown into turmoil when YouTubers Joey Graceffa, Andrea Brooks, Shane Dawson, Oli White, Eva Gutowski, Matthew Haag, Timothy DelaGhetto, Sierra Furtado, GloZell Green, Bart Walker, Benny Smith, Justine Ezarik, and Lele Pons, along with SciFi actress Dawn Hatcher all went missing for three months._

_`“During those three months, the Los Angles Police Department did an exhaustive search for the missing YouTubers and the missing actress, refusing to give up even after the normal 24 hour period had passed, and just when the families of the missing people had given up hope, it was then that an organization that called itself the Society Against Evil, found four of the missing people alive._

_`“According to a representative of the secretive Society, a man named Arthur Kenneth had lured the group to a house, and had held them prisoner for those three months. He was the leader of a sadist cult and had tortured and killed ten of the missing people by the time that the Society Against Evil had arrived, saving the lives of Joey Graceffa, Oli White, Eva Gutowski, and Dawn Hatcher._

_`“Thanks to the Society, Arthur Kenneth and two other cult members Sarah Belkin and Marvin Trask, were stopped and killed. However, one year ago and five weeks after the memorial service, Joey Graceffa went missing from his house, and it was a month before a different group of YouTubers, along with actress Dawn Hatcher were lured to an unknown location with the belief that they would be rescuing Joey._

_`“This time, the group consisted of YouTubers DeStorm Powers, Gabbie Hanna, Liza Koshy, Jesse Wellens, Tana Mongeau, Alex Wassabi, Lauren Riihimaki, Tyler Oakley, Artie Goldsmith, Ernie Goldsmith (Artie’s twin brother), and Andrea Russett. Along with Dawn Hatcher, they went missing for three months, and once again it was the Society Against Evil who managed to locate and rescue the survivors: Dawn Hatcher, Tyler Oakley, and Andrea Russett._

_`“Once again it had been the same cult from last year and the cult member responsible was named Riley Milligan, but she referred herself as the Sorceress, and had kidnapped Joey and lured in the group with the intention of finishing what Arthur had started. However, the Society “dealt with her”, and they are certain that they had ended the legacy of Arthur Kenneth. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to find Joey Graceffa, and the survivors did confirm that they had seen Joey at the mansion up until the arrival of the Society, but they don’t know where he’d been taken._

_`“When Joey Graceffa’s boyfriend, Daniel Preda, was asked if he believed that his boyfriend was dead, he said no, for he strongly believed that Joey was still alive, and until he had proof, like a body, he refused to believe that his boyfriend was dead. Whether the missing YouTuber will be found alive or not remains to be seen. In other news-”`_

James McCoy clicked the TV off and sighed, leaning back in his chair in the study of the latest safe house that was to be his home for the remaining part of the year, rubbing his forehead with his fingers. The last two years had been more stressful for him then for any other time of his life or as his time as a leader for the Society Against Evil, and this was largely due to the chain of events that were connected to an ancient prophecy that was starting to come true.

Until the incidents at the 1920s house, which he’d hoped would’ve been a one-time event, and at the Victorian mansion with the Sorceress, there had been no true reason to believe that the ancient prophecy would come to pass. Now it was coming to pass, and connected to the prophecy was Joey Graceffa and the most powerful Light-bearer yet, Dawn Hatcher.

A month after the funerals for Lauren Riihimaki, who was buried alongside her boyfriend, Alex Wassabi, Jesse Wellens, DeStorm Powers, Liza Koshy, Artie Goldsmith, Tana Mongeau, Gabbie Hanna, and Ernie Goldsmith, who’d been buried alongside his twin, James had told Dawn the truth about the prophecy, her role as a Light-bearer, and when he offered to train her, she’d agreed after having been able to successfully summon the Light twice during the incident.

Now James was responsible for overseeing Dawn’s training as a Light-bearer while teaching her about the history of the Light-bearers themselves, and so far, her training was going well. The downside was that he couldn’t yet tell her that Joey, who she’d seen die at the Victorian mansion, was back from the dead, and he didn’t like lying to her. So far, he’d managed to keep the brunette from finding out that Joey was alive, and was also keeping Joey from contacting her, Daniel, or anyone else until the upcoming mission was completed.

Getting out of his chair, James poured himself a cup of tea and went to one of the windows that enabled him to see the back gardens, where he could see Joey walking around, getting in the exercise required by Dr. Caroline Green, and he sipped his tea, pondering what the next few months would hold for the young man, the actress, and the rest of the world.

_‘Eventually I will have to let Dawn know that Joey is alive, and work with them both to prepare for the mission,’_ he thought, sipping his tea and turning from the window to look at the contract that was lying on the desk. _‘Especially now that I know that they will be going to Everlock. No one knows what happen to the three agents that went there to stop a threat, only that they clearly locked down the town forty years ago.’_

Not much was known about Everlock, only that one of the minions of the Cursed God, known only as the Carnival Master based on the few reports that were stored in the archives, and that he’d been in the town for over a year before it became clear that he was up to something that would end up destroying the town if he wasn’t stopped, and when the request to go in to stop him was made, the Council of Elders had been wanting to send a Light-bearer in with them, but the agents hadn’t waited.

_‘Maybe if they had waited for one of the Light-bearers,’_ James thought, _‘then maybe what happen forty years ago would ended differently. But they hadn’t waited, and now we have no idea if the three agents are still alive or not.’_

Yes, this wasn’t going to be an easy mission for Dawn and Joey, along with whoever they would take with them on the mission when it was time.


	2. CHAPTER ONE: NIGHTMARE ISSUES

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, world and welcome back to Escape the Night!
> 
> It's time to see how Dawn is coping. Onward!

**CHAPTER ONE: NIGHTMARE ISSUES**

*****

_`“_ _Joey!” Dawn screams and her whole body lights up as the Light responds to her. While the others are baking away and freaking out, she runs forward as the Sorceress sits up and pulls the knife out, raising it to stab her friend a second time, and she grabs the evil woman’s wrists, and yanks her away. “No! No, you’re not going to hurt him_ anymore _!”_

_Tyler, Andrea, Riley, and Jetpack Girl watch in shock as the newly revealed and pissed-off Light-bearer struggles with the Sorceress over the knife, and the Light is growing brighter with every second that passes._

_Joey is wheezing and still holds the crown, somehow, in his right hand. Lifting his head a little, he can just make out Dawn fighting with the Sorceress, and to him, his best friend is looking like an angel with the Light surrounding her. “Donny…” he whispers, feeling his strength fading, and he knows that he is dying. ‘Donny, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.’ He lowers his head back onto the floor, unable to keep it up any longer._

_Dawn can hear Joey’s whisper and her determination to stop the Sorceress grows, powering the Light. “This night is going to end_ now _!” she screams, her angry boiling out of control as she tightens her grips on the evil woman’s wrists, making her cry out in pain as she sinks to her knees. “You have put us through_ hell _, you_ forced _us to kill our friends for your sick game! No more!_ No more _!”_

_The Sorceress can feel the Light overwhelming her, draining away the little dark magic and strength that she has left. ‘No,’ she thinks, steeling herself and drawing forth whatever Darkness is left to restore her strength to resist the Light’s effects one last time. ‘No, I will win!’_

_With an unexpected scream, the Sorceress manages to wrench her right hand, which has the knife, free and she slashes the Light-bearer across her right forearm. “_ No _!”_

_`“Agh!” Dawn screams, clutching her forearm as the Light fades, but did not disappear completely. She falls backwards onto the floor, gasping in pain, and she watches helplessly as the Sorceress crawls back to Joey. “No! Joey,_ no _!”`_

*****

“ _Joey!_ ” Dawn Hatcher sat up with a jolt in her bed, gasping and panting, and it took a few seconds for her to realize that she was in her bedroom of her California house and not in the foyer of the Victorian mansion any longer, where she’d seen her best friend die despite her best efforts to stop the Sorceress from killing him at the end of that fateful night. “Oh God…”

Feeling sick to her stomach, the brunette got out of the bed with one hand on her stomach, and she staggered into the bathroom, flicking on the lights and wincing at their brightness before she managed to get to the toilet before her stomach rebelled against her. She spent the next few minutes worshipping the porcelain throne until her stomach was completely empty, and she slumped back against the side of the tub.

_‘It’s been a_ year _and the nightmares won’t stop,’_ Dawn thought, grabbing a washcloth to wipe her mouth with, not surprised to find that her forehead was slick with sweat and the scar on her right arm was letting off phantom pains. This wasn’t the first time that she’d had a nightmare about Joey being killed by the Sorceress, and that was why she went to a therapist recommended by both her employers and her parents.

During the sessions, the brunette had given him an abridge version of what she’d gone through during those three months of hell, sticking with the cover story, and while he’d suggested taking certain types of meds to help her get a decent night sleep, she’d politely declined. So far, working hard with her acting job was lessening the nightmares themselves, but she knew that it would be a long while before they would finally stop.

Despite feeling weak from throwing up, Dawn pushed herself up to her feet, went to the sink, where she splashed water on her face a few times and, after drying her face with a cloth, straightened up to see Jesse Wellens, still dressed as the outlaw, standing behind her in the mirror. “Agh!”

_`“Breathe, Donny,”`_ Jesse said, putting a hand on her shoulder, even though she couldn’t feel it. _`“Breathe, you’re going to be fine.”`_

Dawn stared at the image of her dead friend, doing her best to slow her breathing, but it wasn’t easy, and it didn’t help that ever since she started her training of how to use the Light, she’d started seeing her dead friends in mirrors and other reflective surfaces. It wasn’t all the time, and only when she was alone.

The first time it happen, she’d seen Shane for just a few seconds before he disappeared, and she thought it’d been a trick of the light. But when it happen three other times, it was then that she thought she was going mad, _especially_ when Shane spoke to her, and it took some convincing on his part to assure her that she wasn’t going mad at all.

“Jesse,” Dawn whispered, staring at the mirror since she knew that if she turned around, she wouldn’t see him, and the connection would be broken between them. “Jesse, I – I…” she trailed off, not sure of what to say.

_`“I know, Donny, I know,”`_ Jesse said, giving her shoulder a squeeze that she couldn’t feel, but that didn’t stop him from trying. _`“Just hang in there, and don’t give up. We’re all fine, and when the time is right, you’ll be reunited with Joey just like the prophecy has promised.”`_

The brunette swallowed, feeling her eyes brimming with tears. “Is – is Joey with you guys?” she asked, having not dare ask the question before.

Jesse shook his head as he started to fade away. _`“No, he isn’t,”`_ he replied. _`“He’s alive somewhere, Dawn, and you both will be together again, you can count on it.”`_ And with that, he disappeared from view.

Dawn stared at her reflection for several seconds before the tears began to fall, and she sank to the floor, weeping bitterly. She _really_ wanted to believe that Joey was alive somehow and that the prophecy was right, but she was scared, too. For if it was true, then that meant that she would have to go on another dangerous mission into hell for the _third time_ , and risk the lives of more friends. She wasn’t sure if she could endure it yet again, even to be with Joey again.

*****

The next morning, which just happen to be the morning of the memorial service, Daniel parked in front of Dawn’s house and got out just as two additional cars parked, and out of them came Oli, Eva, Andrea, and Tyler.

After saying good morning to each other with hugs, they all walked up the front walkway to the front door, and Daniel rang the doorbell. When there was no answer, he tried knocking, and when he didn’t get a response that way, Eva tried calling their friend’s cellphone, which went straight to voicemail.

“Ok, this isn’t good,” said Tyler uneasily and the others agreed since they all knew that if Dawn wasn’t going to be available for something she would’ve called to let them know, and that included last-minute trips out of town for work-related issues or family-related issues.

Daniel took out the key that he and Joey had been given by the brunette incase of emergency, which this clearly was, and used it to unlock the front door so that they could go inside to figure out what was going on with their friend.

*****

Finding no sign of the actress downstairs, not even in the basement, the group headed upstairs to check, and it was when Daniel entered the master bedroom and saw light spilling out of the connecting bathroom, that he found Dawn curled up on the floor, fast asleep and still in her pjs, which consisted of a grey tank top and black sweatpants.

_‘Not again,’_ he thought, waving the others into the bedroom while he knelt down and gently shook the brunette’s shoulder to wake her up, picking up on the faint traces of vomit, and he figured that she’d been having nightmares again about the two incidents. “Dawn, Dawn, it’s time to wake up, honey.”

Dawn moaned and mumbled something about Daleks before cracking her eyes open a little and, finding herself on the bathroom floor with Daniel kneeling next to her, she sat up with a jolt, and nearly fell back down, but he managed to keep her steady with his hand on her shoulder. “Ooh, it happen again, didn’t it?” she asked, vaguely recalling getting up during the night for some reason.

“It looks like it,” Daniel agreed, helping her up and stepping aside so that Eva and Andrea could attend to the brunette while he, Oli, and Tyler went back downstairs to get breakfast started for their groggy friend.

When the first incident occurred two years ago and only Joey, Dawn, Eva, and Oli came out of it alive, Daniel had insisted that the brunette stay with him, Joey, and Marie during those first two weeks, and it had turned out to be a good idea since both Dawn and Joey had suffered some rather severe nightmares from the hell they’d gone through.

None of them had gotten much sleep at first, but by the end of the second week, the nightmares had gradually started lessen, and that’d meant less trips to the bathroom to throw up for one thing. And while the nightmares never really went away, they’d came less often as time went by.

After the second incident occurred, Daniel and Marie had made a point of Dawn staying with them during the first two weeks, being there for the brunette when the nightmares started up again, and they’d been worst then the first time around. Once again, none of them had gotten much sleep until toward the end of the second week, and by that point, the brunette was well enough to get back to her acting job.

*****

“Do you think it was the same nightmare as before?” Oli wondered as he put two slices of whole wheat bread into the toaster while Tyler busied himself with setting the table, and Daniel prepared omelets with plenty of vegetables that were part of his long-term mission in life to get the actress to cut back on the amount of meat she would eat, seeing vegetables as a healthier option.

“It’s possible,” said Tyler, getting plates out of the cupboard, not saying what was really on his mind, which was he was certain that the brunette probably had the nightmare about Joey being killed by the Sorceress, and he wasn’t about to say anything in front of Daniel, who still didn’t know the truth about what had really happen both times. “Or something she ate probably disagreed with her delicate stomach,” he added, unaware that the subject of their conversation was sneaking up behind him and, after he put the plates on the table, managed to get him into a headlock, and noogie his head with her fist. “Agh! Help!”

“Think that I’m _that_ delicate, eh?” Dawn teased while she noogie Tyler as he waved his arms around frantically, and their friends clung to either each other or the kitchen counter as they laughed at their antics. “How’s _this_ for delicate?”

“I was wrong!” Tyler yelped while struggling and failing not to laugh after the initial shock wore off. “I was wrong! I yield! I yield! Uncle! Uncle!”

Now laughing, Dawn finally released her grip on her friend and, after they all managed to calm down after a few more minutes of laughing while Tyler worked on fixing his hair, finished making breakfast and sat down to eat since they had a long day ahead of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, it's been rough for Dawn, but she still has her sense of humor. Bye for now! R&R everyone!


	3. CHAPTER TWO: REMEMBER THE FALLEN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, world and welcome back to Escape the Night!
> 
> All right, it's time to see how Dawn is doing. Onward!

**CHAPTER TWO: REMEMBER THE FALLEN**

*****

Later that same day, Daniel convinced Dawn that she needed a different outfit for the memorial service and, despite her protests that she didn’t need to make any changes to her wardrobe, now she was trying on outfits in a dressing room at one of the department stores at the mall with Eva and Andrea while the guys were heading to the food court to get them all lunch.

*****

“I hate it when Daniel does this to me,” Dawn grumbled from inside the dressing room, prompting Eva and Andrea to snicker. “Shut up.”

“There’s nothing wrong with having nice clothes, Donny,” Andrea pointed out with another snicker and even Eva was snickering still, knowing that this was an ongoing, and mostly fun, battle with the brunette that involved not just Joey and Daniel, but other people like Tyra Banks, to improve her fashion sense.

“I’m not against having nice clothes, Andrea,” Dawn protested, pocking her head out of the dressing room, “I’m all fine with that, it’s the whole nonsense of having to have the latest fashion that’s annoying. And some of the so-called fashions out there are just – icky!”

Eva rolled her eyes as the brunette duck back inside the dressing room to finish getting dressed. “We know that, Dawn,” she said, slightly agreeing with her friend. “There are some questionable fashions out in the world, but even you can’t say no to a nice business suit can you?”

“Ok, ok, I’ll concede on that,” Dawn admitted, stepping out so that the two girls could see the dark blue business suit that she had on, which included a white blouse, pants instead of a skirt, and black low-heel shoes. “What do you think?”

“I like it,” Andrea complimented.

Eva nodded. “So do I.”

“I like it, too,” Dawn agreed, looking at herself in the mirror. “And it’s the only one I’m getting,” she added, earning giggles from her friends, and she rolled her eyes again before heading back into the dressing room to change back to her street clothes. “Shut up.”

*****

After lunch and gentle teasing from Daniel of how Dawn should’ve bought more clothing that resulted in her throwing a balled-up napkin at his head while their friends all laughed at their antics, they’d gone back to the actress’ house to get ready for the memorial service, and they were all starting to feel nervous, especially Dawn, Oli, Tyler, Eva, and Andrea, given that they were the survivors of the two incidents.

Dawn was particularly nervous since she’d been asked to talk at the memorial service by the mayor for a second time, and this was going to be harder then last time as she would have to talk about those who’d died during _both_ incidents and Joey, who the world believed was just missing, but she knew that he wasn’t missing, but was dead.

She _so_ wasn’t looking forward to the memorial service, and yet, she removed her normal contact lenses to replace them with the ones from the Society Against Evil, feeling that they would be better for what she was about to do.

*****

The memorial service was held at City Hall, and this time, the survivors were seated with the city’s representatives, along with James McCoy, who was there to represent the Society Against Evil, and Daniel since none of Joey’s family were able to attend due to scheduling conflicts of their jobs, even though they had really wanted to come to support the survivors and Daniel.

“…to have a similar tragedy happen a second time is horrible,” said the mayor after James said his piece, “and now, I invite Ms. Dawn Hatcher to come up and say a few words.” He turned from the podium to look at the actress with a kind smile.

Silently swallowing and wishing she was somewhere else at that _exact_ moment, Dawn stood up with her papers in one hand, and walked to the podium. Shaking hands with the mayor, she turned to face the audience, which was even bigger then last time, and she willed the lump in her throat to disappear before speaking.

“Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and this is a trying time for us all. I wish that what happen two years ago and what happen last year hadn’t happen,” said the brunette. “Why this cult would target myself, Joey, and others a second time is unknown, and I wish no one had had to die, especially a young woman who risked the wrath of the cult when she tried to help us escape at one point during those three months of hell. Her – her name was Alison, and while I never found out her last name, she did everything that she could to protect us from the woman calling herself the Sorceress, and she did so at the cost of her own life. This past year has been tough, not just with those who were killed, but also with Joey still missing, and I – I-”

Dawn stopped speaking and swallowed, trying to get past the emotional lump that was forming in her throat. “I wish – I- I’m sorry.” She finally turned away as the tears began falling, unable to finish her speech, and she didn’t object when Andrea helped her back to her seat while Tyler stepped up and took over to finish the speech.

“As Dawn said, this has been a hard and trying time for us all,” he said. “We wish that the ten people of two years ago, and those who died last year, were all alive and well, and that Joey was with us, too. I know that there are those who resent those of us who managed to survive, and please don’t. I would rather have all our friends be alive right now. Thank you.”

*****

After the memorial service was over and the group managed to, just barely, avoid the annoying Jermaine Whitehouse, they headed back to their cars to part company since Daniel needed to get back to the dogs and his mom, while the others were going back to Dawn’s place.

James watched from a distance as the group left the parking lot before getting into his own car to be taken back to the safe house. Once again, he’d been tempted to approach the group, but had chosen not to since he suspected that if he did, Oli probably would’ve punched him, even with the training he’d been doing with Dawn that past year.

_‘Eventually Dawn and Joey will be reunited,’_ he thought. _‘Eventually.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last time I went to a funeral was in 2015 for my Grandmother Loa, and I had to speak at the funeral. It wasn't easy, but I managed to do it without breaking down, and I was distracted by Connor playing around at my feet at the time. Bye for now! R&R everyone!


	4. CHAPTER THREE: MRI SCAN RESULTS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, world and welcome back to Escape the Night!
> 
> Yup, it's time for another chapter to see how Dawn and Joey are handling things. Onward!

**CHAPTER THREE: MRI SCAN RESULTS**

*****

It’d been a month since the memorial service and James knew that it was time to reunite Dawn and Joey to make the final preparations for the upcoming mission to the Town of Everlock, and that meant that they would have to invite a new group of people to go with them. He wished that the prophecy wasn’t coming true, but it was, and he had to prepare his charges as much as possible.

*****

One day, when Joey left the guest bedroom to get some breakfast, he was met by one of the Society Against Evil’s agents, who informed him that after he had breakfast, he was to meet with James in the study. He’d agreed and had a quick breakfast before going to the study to wait for the older man, wondering what they were going to talk about this time.

The past year had been tough for Joey, and not just the part of coming back from the dead. According to Dr. Green, he was making a full recovery from being ‘mostly’ dead for a full month, and while he was pleased to hear that, what was frustrating him was that he couldn’t let anyone know that he was alive, not even Daniel or Dawn.

Joey knew that the brunette had been visiting the safe house for training with James and learning about what it meant to be a Light-bearer, but every time that had happen up until a month ago when the actress had to leave the country to do filming for _Doctor Who_ , he’d been kept _far_ away from her by being sent to other parts of the safe house, and when he protested, James had insisted that it was for the best until it was time to let her know that he was alive.

_‘Maybe James will let me see Dawn,’_ Joey thought, entering the study and finding it empty, he sighed, realizing that he was going to have to wait for the Society leader. Knowing that he could be waiting for a while, he went to one of the shelves full of books, selected one that was about the history of the Dark Army, and he sat down on one of the couches to read and wait.

*****

In a different part of the safe house, James was giving instructions to a team of agents to retrieve a certain brunette from the airport.

“Dawn will be returning to the United States from England today around 10:00 am and, giving time for getting off the plane, going through customs and picking up her luggage, should arrive at her car around 11:00 am,” he told the agents, having gotten the itinerary from the actress before she’d left to do some filming on _Doctor Who_.

“Will she know that we’re coming?” one of the agents asked.

James shook his head. “No, but she’ll know that this is important,” he replied. “And the sooner you can get her back here, the better.”

The agents nodded and left to retrieve the actress.

*****

At the Los Angeles International Airport, also known as LAX Airport, Dawn left the plane that’d flown non-stop from England and back to the United States, and managed to get through customs without too much fuss. She retrieved her luggage from the luggage claim, unaware that she was being watched by a Society Against Evil agent that’d been sent into the building to be on the lookout for her, and she headed for the doors that would lead to where she could catch a shuttle that would take her to the long-term parking.

_‘I’m just glad to be back in the States,’_ Dawn thought, already starting to feel the jet-lag, despite having had a nap on the plane, _‘and who knows, maybe I’ll be able to catch up on my sleep before I have to do anymore Light-bearer training.’_ She figured it was wistful thinking on her part, but she could dream, right?

The filming for the upcoming season of _Doctor Who_ had gone well, she was getting a lot great with Jodie Whittaker, who’d taken over as the first-ever female Doctor, and she had a good feeling that the newest season was going to be a hit with _Doctor Who_ fans, despite the claims of the haters and the cyber-trolls that seemed intent on destroying the franchise.

_‘Haters back off,’_ the brunette thought, using one of Joey’s catchphrases. _‘_ Doctor Who _is here to stay, Jodie is the thirteenth Doctor, and nothing you jerks do are going to change_ anything _.’_ Humming the _Doctor Who_ theme to herself, she exited the building and boarded the shuttle shortly after it pulled up to the stop.

The Society agent waited until the shuttle left before he headed to where the other agents were parked and got into one of the SUVs. “The Light-bearer is on her way to the parking garage.”

“Good.”

*****

Reaching the parking garage before the shuttle could reach the stop, the SUVs entered the complex and drove until they reached the level that the long-term parking stalls were located, and parked at the far end to wait for the arrival of the actress. The agents didn’t have to wait very long before the elevator on the other end dinged and the doors opened to reveal the brunette, who exited the metal box with her luggage in tow.

Dawn was halfway to her car when her cellphone rang and she answered it, unaware that the agents were already looking up on a computer to see who was calling her, and saw that it was the brunette’s agent, who oversaw her career. They waited until she had stored her luggage into the back of her car, and they pulled out, driving over and parking on either side of the car, effectively blocking it in.

“Um, something just came up and I’ll call you back,” Dawn said, flipping her cellphone shut before her agent could react and pocketed it as four men, from both cars, got out and joined her. “I’m guessing that I’m needed?”

One of the men nodded. “Yes, our employer needs to see you right away, Ms. Hatcher.”

Figuring as much, Dawn handed her keys to one of the men, who was going to drive her car, and went with the other men to one of the cars. She climbed into the backseat with one man, while the other men went back to the other cars, and soon enough, they all left the parking lot.

*****

Meanwhile at the safe house, James was in the infirmary with Dr. Green, who was showing him some MRI scans that had been taken of Joey, Dawn, Oli, Eva, Andrea, and Tyler.

“Because of Dawn’s acting job,” Dr. Green said, putting five images of the brunette’s brain on the light board, “she’s required to have an MRI scan with her physical to make sure that she doesn’t suffer from any serious injuries to her brain, and since I was able to access these, I’ve noticed something unusual that I probably would’ve missed otherwise.”

“And what is that?” James inquired.

Dr. Green taped the first image with her finger. “This scan was taken five months before the 1920s house incident,” she explained, “and as you can see, some of her neural pathways are slightly different, most likely because of her Autism, and is basically a healthy brain for a woman of 34 years.”

“What about these lighted areas?” James questioned, pointing out the small areas on the image that seemed to be lit up.

“Those are indicators of the limited Light activity inside her at that time,” Dr. Green answered, and she pointed to the second image. “Now, this is the MRI scan that I took of her brain shortly after the incident at the 1920s house, and due to the stress and trauma that she went through, you can see that some of her neural pathways have been altered. Plus, there are more indicators that the Light had been active, and most likely without her knowledge.”

James pondered this. “Dawn must’ve been instinctively using the Light to protect Joey without even knowing that she was doing it,” he guessed.

Dr. Green nodded. “I believe that is what happen,” she agreed, and she tapped the third image. “Now, I took this scan while Dawn was still unconscious when she was brought to the safe house on the day that Joey disappeared, and as you can see, some of the neural pathways that’d been affected by the 1920s house had returned to normal, but the amount of indicators had increased, and I expect that this had to do with the Light trying to get the Darkness out of Joey during that year before he was taken.”

“It makes sense,” James agreed. “As the Light is more active, the more that Dawn’s brain lights up like a Christmas tree. So, I guess that this scan was taken after the Sorceress was defeated?” he questioned, pointing to the fourth image.

“It is,” Dr. Green confirmed. “Once I was certain that she wasn’t going to die from the toxin that had been on that knife, I did this scan, and given that she was able to summon the Light twice, the pathways and the indicators have changed _a lot_. And this last scan is the one I took after Dawn started her training, and as you can see, her brain is changing because of everything.”

“But these are good changes, right?” James asked, and when the doctor nodded, he sighed with relief. “Good, I would hate it to be the opposite.” Just then, Jonas entered the infirmary and handed him a cellphone. “Hello?” he asked and listened to the speaker, nodding. “Good, good.” He then flipped the phone shut. “Dawn has been picked up and is on her way here.”

“She will be happy to see Joey after all this time,” Dr. Green remarked.

James nodded and gave the cellphone back to Jonas, who then left the infirmary. “Yes, she will be,” he agreed, and he fully expected the brunette to give him grief for not letting her know sooner that Joey was alive once again. “You said you also have other MRIs for me to look at?”

Dr. Green nodded and took down the images and replaced them with a new set, but there were only four this time. “These are the MRI scans of Joey,” she explained, pointing to the first two. “These were taken during his childhood, and you can where the lead from the paint chips had affected his brain development.”

“And yet, Joey has accomplished much despite the disability caused by the lead,” James commented.

“Indeed,” Dr. Green agreed and pointed to the third image. “This is the scan I took after the 1920s house, and you can see the impact that the experience had on his pathways. Those dark patches are from the Darkness that’d started infecting him after he took the deed.” And there were a number of dark patches on the image.

James made a face at the memory of failing to get the Darkness out of the young man before it’d grown enough to overwhelm him last year. “Should’ve dealt with that sooner.”

“We all make mistakes, James,” said Dr. Green, understandingly. “And yet, it had to happen because of the prophecy.”

“Don’t remind me,” James grumbled, earning a smirk from the doctor. “Let’s move on shall we?” he asked, trying to get back on track.

Dr. Green nodded and pointed to the final scan. “This is the scan I took after Joey came back from the dead,” she said, “and as you can see, when he came back, a lot of the damage caused by the 1920s house, the Darkness, and even from the lead has been greatly reversed. Not entirely due to how young he was when he ate the paint chips, but the worst of it is gone.”

“Fascinating,” James remarked. “In some ways, Joey was restored nearly completely to how he was before this whole mess started.”

“Yes, and I expect that once Everlock has been saved, more changes will occur,” said Dr. Green, taking down the images and put up two this time. “This scan is of Oli’s brain after he had an accident some time before the events of the 1920s house. Nothing serious, but the doctors in England wanted to make sure.” She pointed to the second image. “This, however, is taken after the 1920s house, and you can see how the pathways were affected, especially during the electrical shocks.”

“Hmm,” said James, tapping his chin with his finger. “That looks odd. But in a good way or a bad way?”

Dr. Green shrugged, taking the images down. “I’m not entirely sure, and Oli isn’t the only one with such changes to his brain patterns.” She then showed him two images of Eva’s brain, before and after the 1920s house with similar changes, and the same with for the images of Andrea and Tyler’s brains, too. “The only big difference is that since both Andrea and Tyler were exposed to the Light during the final confrontation with the Sorceress, they have signs of the Light still having an impact on them, even after a year.”

James pondered this and he realized something. “Maybe this has to the do the prophecy,” he theorized. “The first time, only four got out alive, two boys and two girls. And if Joey hadn’t died, it would’ve been the same this last time, too. Oli, Tyler, Eva, and Andrea must be connected to the prophecy somehow.”

“But how?” Dr. Green wondered and he just shrugged.

How _were_ the four survivors connected to the prophecy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, interesting question isn't it? Bye for now! R&R everyone!


	5. CHAPTER FOUR: RESEARCH AND DREAMS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, world and welcome back to Escape the Night!
> 
> Surprise! Yeah, I know I just updated yesterday, but it's October 1st, and what better way to start the spooky season then by updating this story? Onward!

**CHAPTER FOUR: RESEARCH AND DREAMS**

*****

After talking with Dr. Green about the MRIs, James left the infirmary and went upstairs to take care of a few things before the arrival of the agents with Dawn. He’d finished up a half hour later when he looked out the window and saw the two cars pull up, along with Dawn’s car being driven by one of the agents.

James watched as the brunette entered through the front door and he headed for the stairs to go downstairs to the study, fully expecting her to be reunited with Joey very shortly, and he knew that he would have to explain to her _why_ he hadn’t let her know that her best friend was alive before now. _‘She’ll be disappointed that I’ve been lying to her for this past year,’_ he thought, _‘but it was necessary.’_

*****

Several hours later found James, Dawn, and Joey researching on the Town of Everlock, where they would need to go for the mission, and there wasn’t much to go on, except for a single report about an incident taking place in the town. Also, there was the matter of the contract that Joey had signed while in the World Between Worlds, and when the brunette had looked at the contract, she’d found that she would need to sign it, too.

Neither Dawn or Joey been too excited to discover this twist after James had proven it to be true when he also examined the new addition to the contract, and when the actress wondered how she would sign the contract without actually dying, he’d assured her that there was a way to do it.

*****

A short time later in the infirmary, Joey and Dawn were lying on a bed, side-by-side, and they were fast asleep thanks to a special sedative mixed up by Dr. Green, which would allow Dawn to travel to the World Between Worlds in a dream state with Joey serving as the link.

James was sitting on a chair with the contract on a table, and he was trying to read a book, but he kept glancing at the sleeping couple, noting how young they looked when they were asleep compared to their real ages. _‘I wish that they weren’t going through this,’_ he thought, finally shutting the book since there was no way he could concentrate on the words in it, _‘but they are connected to the prophecy, and there’s no changing that.’_

Dr. Green was checking the monitors that were showing the vitals for Joey and Dawn – when the brunette woke with a loud gasp, and Joey, who also woke up, promptly helped her sit up and held her close since she was trembling while Dr. Green removed the IVs from their arms and a nurse cleaned and stitched up the cut that was now on the brunette’s left hand.

James also stood up and picked up the contract, checking it over, and saw that the actress had signed it with her own blood. _‘Just like Joey, she’s now bonded to Everlock,’_ he thought, looking at Joey and Dawn, who was clearly shaken by what she’d just done in the World Between Worlds.

“Well, we’re both in for the long haul now,” Joey remarked and Dawn just nodded, still shaken from the experience.

*****

An hour later, James called Joey and Dawn into the study, and showed them that there had been a change to the prophecy. “Apparently, by signing that contract, Dawn, another section of the prophecy has been revealed.”

Setting the prophecy on the desk, they read the new section together.

_When the four are revealed and evil is strong._

_Four stones will be found and cleansed._

_Together, the four will restore the two._

“This makes _no sense_ ,” Dawn stated.

“I’m with Dawn, this is confusing,” Joey agreed.

Even James was confused by what the new section of the prophecy meant. “Well, It will probably make sense after the mission.”

“Maybe,” Dawn said and checked her watch, groaning when she saw the time. “Dang it, I gotta get home and call Daniel to reassure him that I made back alive before he panics or something. Now where did I put my car keys?”

“I have them right here,” said James, holding up the keys and didn’t hand them to the brunette, confusing both her and Joey. “In light of what has been discovered and with the signing of the contract, it’s best that you remain here for the time being, Dawn,” he explained when she and Joey gave him confused looks. “Word has been sent to Daniel that you had to leave for a last-minute filming session up in Canada, Dawn,” he added, unsurprised by her scandalized expression, “and don’t worry, you can call Daniel if you wish, and anyone else that you think should know, too.”

“I _really_ hate it when people do that to me, James,” Dawn grumbled, taking back her car keys. “Fine, but can I _at least_ get my luggage from my car?”

James smirked. “Already taken care of,” he informed her, “and anything dirty is being attended to while the rest is being taken up to a guest room for you to stay. Come on, I’ll show it to you.”

*****

James lead Joey and Dawn upstairs, where he showed the brunette the bedroom that she would be staying in, and Joey chuckled when he saw that it was connected by a door to the bedroom he’d been staying in. “And as you can see,” he added after the actress admitted that it was nice, “your luggage has been already unpacked and stored away in the chester-drawers and the wardrobe, expect for what has been taken to the laundry room.”

Dawn turned to face the older man while Joey was snickering. “You’ve been planning this for a while, haven’t you?” she questioned, her hands on her hips, and when she only got a smirk from James, she rolled her eyes while her best friend burst out laughing. “Shut up, Joey, it isn’t _that_ funny.”

“Yes, it is.”

“No, it isn’t.”

James just smiled and shook his head, leaving the two friends to tease and heckle each other, something that they hadn’t gotten to do since the battle against the Sorceress.

*****

Later that same night, something woke Joey up from a sound sleep, and at first, he thought that he’d been dreaming when he heard a soft whimper from next door. Getting out of bed, he went to the door that connected the bedroom to the one next door, and he opened it to peer into the other bedroom.

In the moonlight coming from the partly covered bay window, Joey could see Dawn was asleep in the bed, and just when he thought that he’d been imagining the whimper, he heard it again, and he realized that it was coming from the brunette when she started to toss and turn, clearly caught in the grips of a bad dream.

“Joey…” Dawn mumbled, shaking her head side-to-side, and he moved closer to the bed as she whimpered again. “No…don’t you dare…Joey!”

Although he was taking a risk, Joey carefully shook his friend’s shoulder, trying to wake her up. “Dawn…Dawn…wake up,” he whispered, catching a glimpse of the scar on her left forearm, a grim reminder of the hell they’d gone through last year. “Come on, Donny, wake up.”

Suddenly, the brunette sat up and nearly fell out of the bed, only her best friend grabbing her by the shoulders prevented that from happening. “Joey, I – oh, oh.” She blinked, realizing that she was awake and not in her own bedroom, and didn’t object when he sat down next to her to hug her. “Oh gosh, Joey… I – wow.”

“Bad dream?” Joey asked after ending the hug and she nodded. “Want me to stay with you until you go back to sleep?” he offered, recalling how she’d done the same for him at the 1920s house, and both he and Daniel had done something similar after the first incident. _‘Daniel probably did the same thing last year, too.’_

Dawn nodded, still a bit shaken by the dream of her best friend being killed by the Sorceress, which hadn’t pounced on her for a full month, and she lied back down on her left side while Joey laid down too, wrapping an arm around her waist. And it wasn’t very long before they were both fast asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dawn and Joey have been reunited! When it comes time for the first episode of ETN 3, the full reunion will be seen, along with a few other things, I can promise you that. Bye for now! R&R everyone!


	6. CHAPTER FIVE: INVITE LIST AND CLOTHING

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, world and welcome back to Escape the Night!
> 
> Time to see how Joey and Dawn are doing as they get ready for the Everlock mission. Onward!

**CHAPTER FIVE: INVITE LIST AND CLOTHING**

*****

Over the next few days, James, Joey, and Dawn were busy with finding out everything that they could about Everlock and the Carnival Master himself. Although there wasn’t much to go on about the Carnival Master himself, they did learn that his real name was Nicolas Jackson, and that he was originally from Richmond, Virginia.

“According to this, Nicolas Jackson was the nephew of Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, and served under him as a lieutenant during the Civil War,” Joey remarked, reading through an aged document. “Huh, apparently his unit went missing for five days during the last year of the war, along with another unit that Cash himself was in, and only Nicolas was found alive and mumbling incoherently about men and women in strange dark armor, green light, beings with red eyes, and the promise of being able to live forever.”

“Sounds like he had a run-in with the Dark Army,” Dawn guessed, peering at the paper. “Whoa, if this is right, Nicolas went missing a second time about two years after the Civil War ended, and was declared dead after two months with no body ever being found. Could he have made a deal or something with either the Cursed God or one of his other minions to become immortal?”

James shrugged. “It’s possible,” he admitted, “and it would explain the state that he was in when he was found after missing for five days. Whatever the reason for his disappearance and how he became a minion for the Cursed God may never be truly answered. Right now, we need get away from the research and figure out who will be going with you both to Everlock on Friday the 13th.”

Both Joey and Dawn made a face at that reminder, but they knew that James was right. It _was_ time to figure out which of their friends would go with them and risk their lives so that they could stop the Carnival Master, save Everlock, and keep Joey from dying…again.

*****

Some time later, Joey and Dawn were video chatting with Oli, Tyler, Eva, and Andrea, and the quartet were relieved and surprised to see Joey alive. After promising not to tell anyone, not even Daniel about Joey, they were given an update about the prophecy, the contract that both had signed while in the World Between Worlds, and what they knew of the mission itself.

_`“The four of us could come with you both on the mission,”`_ Tyler offered, even though his tone hinted that he was terrified at the thought.

_`“I’m with Tyler,”`_ Oli agreed. _`“Although it’s something I rather not have to do ever again, you’re gonna need all the help that you can get.”`_

“Thanks for the offer, guys,” said Joey, having been told by Dawn about Oli making the same offer after the memorial service last month. “But, it’s better that we invite people who haven’t gone through hell the last two times.”

_`“I wish this wasn’t happening again,”`_ Eva complained. _`“Doing this nightmare two times is too much, but a third?”`_

_`“Yeah,”`_ Andrea agreed. _`“Why does it have to be you two? Why is this prophecy making you both go through hell again?”`_

“Prophecies are tricky things,” Dawn pointed out, “and they can be interpreted in different ways. However this one is pretty straight-forward and has come true so far.”

_`“So, which era are you two heading to this time?”`_ Oli asked, dropping the subject of the prophecy for the time being.

“Everlock went missing in the year 1978,” Joey answered, “and it looks like it was locked in time like the Victorian mansion. According to James, we’re gonna have to perform a séance in order to gain access to the town on Friday the 13th.”

All four of their friends made faces at the world “séance”, recalling the séances that they had to do at the 1920s house two years ago and at the Victorian mansion last year. _`“Oh goody.”`_

“Yeah, we’re not looking forward to it either,” Dawn agreed.

_`“So, who will have to go to Everlock with you guys?”`_ Eva asked, hoping that this mission would end differently prior to the last two incidents.

Joey sighed. “We’re still figuring that out,” he admitted. “But once we know for sure, we’ll let you guys know what to expect.”

Seeing that as their best option for the time being, they talked a bit more, and then signed off the computer to get back to figuring out the guest list for the upcoming mission.

*****

As the days went by, Joey and Dawn were _so_ busy with trying to figure out who to invite, that it wasn’t until they had narrowed the list down to nine YouTubers that they both realized that the brunette wasn’t having the nightmare about Joey’s death anymore, and they figured it had to do with focusing on the upcoming mission.

*****

One day, James found Joey and Dawn in the salon, where she’d just had her hair cut shorter, and she was currently in the middle of working on Joey’s hair so that it was going from brown to platinum blonde, and restyling it so that it was more fitting for the 1970s. She was being assisted by a hair stylist, and it didn’t take very long.

“Hello, I’m Ken,” Joey joked once they were done and he saw his reflection, making Dawn and the hair stylist laugh while James just shook his head with amusement.

“Think Freddy Jones, Joey,” the brunette suggested with a snicker when her best friend stuck his tongue at her. “Careful, your face will get stuck like that.”

James cleared his throat to get their attention. “Dawn, Joey, some clothing selections are ready for you both to choose from,” he informed them, escorting them out of the salon to go upstairs.

*****

Upstairs in the clothing room, where the Society kept outfits needed for all kinds of missions, four clothing options had been set out on two tables for them to choose from, and they all were 1970s styled.

“Ooh, Dawn, we should be twins,” said Joey, seeing that two of the outfits consisted of white shirts with skinny vertical stripes, dark red pants, orange ascots, period-typical socks and shoes, and pale brown coats.

Dawn, who’d been considering an outfit that consisted of an orange turtleneck sweater, red jeans, and black boots, raised her eyebrows skeptically. “Um, _why?_ What would be the point?” she questioned, suspecting that he was plotting to take another stab at her fashion sense.

“Because, these outfits are cute and I think we’ll look great in them,” Joey replied with a grin.

The brunette eyed the outfits, which were nice-looking and were close to how she normally dressed. _‘It’d be different,’_ she thought, _‘and yet…_ dang it _! I hate when he does this to me.’_ “I don’t know.”

“Please, Donny, _please_ ,” Joey pleaded, really wanting the outfits for the both of them.

Dawn sighed and rolled her eyes. “ _Fine_ , you win this round, Joey Graceffa,” she grumbled good-naturally and rolled her eyes again when he cheered. “Shut up, I hate you right now for the peer pressure you’ve put me under.”

“No you don’t, Dawn Hatcher, you love me too much,” Joey teased back, prompting the actress to stick her tongue out at him, but she was also smiling a little. Yup, he _definitely_ won that round of their ongoing battle over her fashion choices.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Joey won that round with the clothing options. Bye for now! R&R everyone!


	7. CHAPTER SIX: INVITES AND GEAR

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, world and welcome back to Escape the Night!
> 
> It's time to find out who Joey and Dawn will be inviting to go with them to Everlock. Onward!

**CHAPTER SIX: INVITES AND GEAR**

*****

A few days later, Joey and Dawn were going over the list of which YouTubers to invite for the mission, and the brunette was a little concerned about some of the people they were going to invite, especially ones that they were close friends with.

“Ok, Jc I know from season two of _Fight of the Living Dead_ ,” Dawn said, “but that’s all I really know about him. However, I’m a _bit_ concerned about inviting MatPat, especially since he and Stephanie are expecting their first baby in a few months, and then there’s Ro. I don’t know how well she could handle the kind of threats we’re probably going to face in Everlock.”

“Matt’s reallygood with puzzles and such, so we _definitely_ need him,” Joey stated, “and if we can get the mission done faster then the last two times, it might not take three months for a change. As for Ro, she’s tough, and I think she can be _really_ helpful. How did Jc do with _Fight of the Living Dead_ anyway?”

“Well, despite getting infected, the others chose to cure him, and he ended up being one of the winners for that season,” the brunette answered and when her friend pouted, she laughed. “Hey, it happens, so deal with it.”

Joey stuck his tongue at her and nodded. “Yeah, yeah, I know, I know,” he grumbled good-naturally. “Ok, so what do you know about Roi Fabito?”

“Not a whole lot,” Dawn admitted. “I know he and Alex had had a channel on YouTube for a while before going their separate ways, but that’s about it. What do you know about him?”

“Well, Guava does have over a million viewers and I’ve seen some of his videos,” Joey answered. “He does a lot of daring stuff, so he could come in handy for the mission.”

The actress nodded. “Yeah, and from what I’ve heard about Safiya, she’s good at puzzles, and having two people who can work out puzzles can be useful,” she pointed and her friend agreed. “But what about Teala? I really don’t know her at all.”

“I’m kinda on the fence about Teala, too,” Joey admitted, “so, we’ll just have to see how she does on the mission.”

“Looks to be our only option,” Dawn agreed. “Ok, now I’m worried about having Colleen, Manny, and Nikita. Both Colleen and Manny are our good friends, Nikita, I don’t know that well, but I’m _really_ worried that having all three of them on the mission could create _a lot_ of drama that we really don’t need and could slow things down.”

“There’s alwaysgoing to be drama, Donny,” Joey pointed out. “No matter who we invite, there’s gonna be drama.”

The brunette groaned. “I know and that’s why I’m worried,” she stated. “Every time there’s been drama, things get even worse as the night progress, and I don’t think I can handle that kind of stress a third time.”

Joey knew how she felt, but he also knew that this was the way to go. “I know, but it’s what we have to do.”

“I know, I know.”

*****

After finalizing the guest list and being surprised when James recommended that they also invite two brand new YouTubers Esther Bourne and Curtis Knight, who were also a couple, they informed Oli, Tyler, Eva, and Andrea of who they were inviting, agreeing with their concern and confusion about the additions to the list that brought the total to eleven, and then focused on what they would need to take with them.

*****

“This satchel has everything you’ll need for the séance,” James told the couple, handing them a brown leather satchel that had the Society Against Evil symbol on the front. “I recommend not opening it until you’re with the group and it’s nighttime.”

“Thanks,” said Joey, taking the satchel.

James spread a map out on the table and pointed out the route. “Based on what we know, this road will take you to a mailbox that will send the invites to the right people, and it’ll also take you both to where Everlock was last seen before it disappeared,” he explained, tracing the route with his finger. “And since GPS will be useless,” he continued, picking up the map and folding so that they could use it, “this map will help get you there faster.”

Dawn took the map with a nod. “Good, ‘cause this isn’t going to be easy, that’s for sure.”

James nodded, knowing that it was probably going to be their most dangerous mission yet. “There’s one more thing,” he said and lead them to the garage.

*****

Inside the garage, which had a large number of stalls for the vehicles, which was where Dawn was keeping her own car, James showed them a stylish red/white 70’s car. “And here’s the car to get you to Everlock.”

“Wow, talk about going in style,” Joey commented and Dawn agreed. “James, thanks for all of this. Really.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“No problem,” James assured them both with a smile. “At least this time, you both have a good idea of what to expect.”

“That’s for sure.”

*****

A few days later, Joey and Dawn left the safe house, dressed in their 70s’ clothing and driving the car out of sight. Once they were gone, James went to make a few phone calls before letting the Council of Elders know that the mission was on schedule.

*****

At a brown house, Curtis Knight was in his garage, working on the engine of his car when there was a knock on the front door of the house. Wiping his hands on a rag that used to be red, he stepped out of the garage and saw a mailman standing on the front porch. “Can I help you?” he asked, getting the man’s attention.

“Curtis Knight?” the mailman asked, leaving the porch and approached the young man when he nodded, taking an envelope out of his bag. “I have a letter for you.”

Curtis took the sealed letter. “Thanks,” he said and as the mailman left, he went inside his house to read the letter, noting that his name was on the front. _‘I wonder if this is for that mission that I was told about?’_

*****

Going inside to the kitchen, Curtis sat down at the table and he opened the envelope, taking out the letter, and read through it, finding that it was from Joey and Dawn. _‘Yup, this is_ definitely _for the mission,’_ he thought and nearly jumped out of his boots when the cellphone rang.

“Gotta remember to turn down the ringtone,” he grumbled, taking out his cellphone and when he saw the number on the caller ID, he immediately answered it. “Curtis Knight here, sir.”

_`“Mr. Knight, did you receive the invite from Joey Graceffa and Dawn Hatcher?”`_ James’ voice inquired.

“I just received the invite and I have read it, sir,” Curtis confirmed. “This is the Everlock mission, isn’t it?”

_`“It is, Mr. Knight,”`_ James’ voice confirmed. _`“I have already spoke to Ms. Bourne about the mission, and as I told her, you both must look after Joey Graceffa and Dawn Hatcher, make sure that they complete the mission at_ all cost. _Also_ don’t _let them know that either of them know that you are members for the Society Against Evil,_ don’t _let them wander off,_ and _it’s vital that they defeat the Carnival Master before sunrise, even if it means either or both of you end up dying in the process.”`_

“Yes, sir,” said Curtis, having figured that this mission would be dangerous, given that this was the same mission that’d lead to the death of his grandmother forty years ago, and the death of Esther’s grandfather, too. “You can count on Esther and I to finish the mission, even if we both die in the process.”

_`“Very good,”`_ said James’ voice. _`“Get together with Esther and prepare for the Everlock mission.”`_

“Yes, sir.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, if Joey and Dawn had knew that Colleen was pregnant at the time, they probably wouldn't have invited her on the mission. Bye for now! R&R everyone!


	8. CHAPTER SEVEN: OPERATION: EVERLOCK

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, world and welcome back to Escape the Night!
> 
> It's time for the final chapter of this story. Onward!

**CHAPTER SEVEN: OPERATION: EVERLOCK**

*****

As Friday the 13th drew closer and closer, the following people were getting ready to travel to where the Town of Everlock was suppose to be: Teala Dunn, Colleen Ballinger Evans, Manny MAU, Roi Fabito, Jc Caylen, Curtis Knight, Esther Bourne, Nikita Dragun, Matthew ‘MatPat’ Patrick, Rosanna Pansino, and Safiya Nygaard.

Unknown to most of them, the Society Against Evil was also preparing for when the spell that was locking Everlock in the year 1978 would collapse so that they could also enter the town, and help both the survivors from the mission and the town folk that were still alive.

*****

“I have to admit,” Esther said to Curtis when there was only a week before the mission to Everlock would start, “that I’m a bit nervous about this mission.”

They were both at Curtis’ place and were busy writing the letters that they were required to carry with them on the off chance that if they did die before the mission could be completed, then the others would find them, and learn of what they would need to do in order to help Joey and Dawn finish the mission by defeating the Carnival Master before sunrise.

“I’m nervous, too, Essie,” Curtis agreed, giving his girlfriend’s arm a reassuring squeeze. “But you and I have been training and preparing for this mission since we were kids, and we knew that at some point we would have to travel to Everlock to finish what your grandmother and my grandfather, along with the third agent that went with them, failed to do.”

Esther knew that her boyfriend was right. Ever since they both turned the age of eight, they had started training to be agents for the Society Against Evil, and both their parents, their surviving grandparents, the Society leaders, and even the Council of Elders had ingrained them the importance of winning the war against the Cursed God.

After they had completed the training, they both had gone on a few missions against low-leveled minions, both separate and together, and had been successful in the missions. Yes, they had had a few close calls, but in the end, the low-level minions had all been defeated, and they had also managed to foil a number of dark plans in the process while also collecting both intel and powerful objects that would be stored in the vaults.

“Well, it will be interesting to spend time with an actual Light-bearer,” Esther remarked and Curtis nodded in agreement since it wasn’t often that agents for the Society Against Evil actually got to spend time with a Light-bearer, and knowing that Dawn Hatcher _was_ a Light-bearer was an interesting twist of fate for them.

They went back to finish writing the letters, hoping that they would fare better then Shane Dawson had on his first and _only_ mission two years ago, and they would be able to help Joey and Dawn complete the mission without too many fatalities among the invited YouTubers, and keep the couple alive as well. They had been told by James about the contract that had been signed in order to bind Joey and Dawn to Everlock while they had been in the World Between Worlds, and so they knew that if either of the two died before the mission was completed, then the whole mission would fail.

Both Esther and Curtis were determined _not_ to fail their mission.

*****

Meanwhile in a small town, Joey and Dawn were staying in a small motel run by a couple who were members of the Society Against Evil, having been told to wait there since it wasn’t far from where they would need to go to gain access to the Town of Everlock when the time was right.

*****

Currently, they were in the motel room, playing board games and card games in order to avoid doing too much online stuff and run the risk of someone, like Jermaine Whitehouse for instance, finding out where they were and that Joey wasn’t missing.

*****

“Draw four,” Joey said with a grin while his friend groaned and drew four cards from the stack, adding them to the four cards that were already in her hand. “And the color is blue. I do wish UNO had purple cards.”

“Well, they don’t and I put down this SKIP card, so it’s my turn again,” said Dawn, earning a groan when she put down a Draw Two card and he had to draw two cards, making so that he had four cards. “Good luck getting Uno now,” she teased.

Joey rolled his eyes and they kept playing for several minutes until he managed to win, getting a mock groan of defeat from the brunette, and they both nearly jumped a foot off the bed when there was a knock at the door.

Exchanging a look, Dawn went to the door, peered through the peephole, and then unlocked it and opened it to reveal Mrs. Kendra Hall, who ran the motel with her husband, Carter Hall. “Mrs. Hall, can we help you with something?” she asked before seeing the cover tray that the older woman was carrying. “Oh, you didn’t have to bring us food,” she said, moving aside so that she could enter the room.

“Oh, I know that,” said Mrs. Hall with a slight Southern accent as she went over to the table and set the tray down, uncovering it to reveal two plates, one that had one of Joey’s favorite vegetarian meals and the other one was Dawn’s favorite food: whole wheat spaghetti and meatballs. “But Mr. McCoy insisted that while you’re both here, to look after you both, Miss Hatcher.”

Thanking her again and locking the door after she left, Joey and Dawn went to sit at the table to eat their dinner while theorizing of what they would probably encounter when they and their friends entered Everlock in the next few days.

*****

When the day of the mission finally arrived, Joey and Dawn checked out of the motel, thanking the Halls for their hospitality, and drove the car to a small hill that overlooked the location of where Everlock used to be to wait for the arrival of their friends.

*****

Back at the safe house, James was doing paperwork when the phone rang and he answered it. “Hello?” he asked and listened as Mrs. Hall gave her report. “Good, good, that’s good to know that Joey and Dawn are where they need to be. Thank you, Kendra. Bye.” He put the phone back down and looked over the reports he’d received about how the YouTubers, along with Curtis and Esther, were already heading out for the mission.

_‘I wish there was another way to go about this,’_ James thought while taking notes, signing forms, reading other reports, and made plans for the team that would be on standby to enter the town when the spell finally ended. _‘But this is how it has to be. I just hope that the Carnival Master can be defeated like the prophecy is promising.’_

It was a gamble to send Joey and Dawn into danger for a third time, but that was how things were suppose to go, and all he and the rest of the Society could do was help and prepare them as much as possible.

The end…for now.

*****

_I have so many, so many regrets._

_So many lies, so many broken ties._

_I wish for my old life._

_Wish I could fix my strike._

_Cause no one truly escapes the night._

_Oh, won't you help me escape the night._

_Oh baby help me escape the night._

_Escape the night._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't go anywhere, the next installment will be up soon. Bye for now! R&R everyone!

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, this won't be an easy mission for Dawn and Joey. Bye for now! R&R everyone!


End file.
